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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bulb — for light
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. season — of the year
  6. file — a tool
  7. toast — bread
  8. chip — to eat
  9. craft — a skill
  10. season — in sport
  11. craft — boats
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. file — a document
  14. object — an aim
  15. chip — for betting
  16. object — a thing
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. file — a line of people
  22. snap — to click
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com